USA > Indiana > Jasper County > Remington > History of the town of Remington and vicinity, Jasper County, Indiana > Part 8
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When this removal was accomplished, one James B. Shaw was appointed as postmaster. He held the office until shortly after the breaking out of the rebellion, when Mr. Shaw resigned his office and enlisted in the service of the United States. Mr. Shaw's father, William H. Shaw, was given charge of the office. At the same time William H. Shaw was a clerk in the Bolles store. The office remained at this place for several years, but Mr. Bolles finally became tired of having the office in his store, and it was therefore moved across the railway. This occurred in the latter part of the year 1863. Mr. William Hopkins had recently built a store building on the corner of Indiana and Railway streets, and in this building the postoffice was now located, Mr. William H. Shaw still continuing to act as postmaster. Mr. Shaw remained as acting postmas- ter until after the assassination of President Abraham Lin- coln, on the 15th day of April, 1865, when vice-President Andrew Johnson became President of the United States. President Johnson's governmental policies differed from those of President Lincoln, and as a result there were many changes in government offices throughout the entire
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country, and among those affected was the postoffice at Remington. Mr. Shaw vacated the office and Esquire Benj. B. Jeffries was appointed and became the postmaster in his stead. This change was made the latter part of the year 1865. Mr. Jeffries did not continue as postmaster for only a few months, when the office again went back into the hands of William H. Shaw, the office still remaining on the north side. The store of Mr. Hopkins had in the meantime changed hands. Mr. Elias Watts having bought out Mr. Hopkins, he now became the proprietor of this store, and still furnished store room for the post- office. Mr. Watts was postoffice clerk for Mr. Shaw while the office remained in his store room. About the year 1868 or 1869, the postoffice was again removed over to the south side of Railway street, and was located in the drug store owned by Benjamin Butler. Mr. Butler also became Mr. Shaw's postoffice clerk. The office remained in But- ler's drug store until the 15th day of November, 1870, when George B. Clark took charge of it, he having a short time prior to this been appointed to assume control as post- master at Remington, Indiana. From this time on Mr. Geo. B. Clark was the postmaster for Remington continu- ously until after the election and inauguration of President Cleveland in 1884 and 1885. On the Ist day of January, 1886, Mr. Clark vacated the office and turned the same over to Wellington A. Traugh, he having some time prior to this been appointed to succeed Mr. Clark.
When Mr. Clark first took possession of the office, it was not a paying institution, but the business steadily increased as time went, until it was looked upon by Rem- ington people as a good job to hold down. The town in the first years of the seventies had began to improve quite rapidly, and as the country grew older and more populous, the postoffice became one of considerable importance. There was a great deal of building done here from 1870 to 1880, and there was consequently a great addition to the population of the town.
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In 1874 the farming community was blessed with the largest corn crop that had ever been grown in this part of this country, considering the number of acres that had been planted, and the acreage was very extensive, considering this was a comparatively new country. At that time the lands in this vicinity had not been more than half broken up.
Mr. George B. Clark came to Remington during the year 1860, and has remained here uninterruptedly all the time to the present, excepting a short time, perhaps one year, that of 1888, which he and his wife spent in Florida. He was a business man prior to his postoffice career, hav- ing been in the grocery business during the sixties. After leaving the postoffice he concluded to lead a quiet, retired life, but this he could not do, for it was shown that upon his return from Florida, he immediately went into the gar- dening and vegetable raising business, and has continued in this business to the present time. Mr. Clark has been a citizen of Remington longer than any other man in town. As before stated, upon Mr. Clark's retirement from the post- office, January 1, 1866, Mr. Wellington A. Traugh assumed control. Mr. Traugh was a pronounced Democrat, and the second Democrat that ever held this postoffice; the former Democrat having been Mr. Benj. B. Jeffries. Im- mediately prior to this last change, there was considerable excitement among the Democrats as to who should receive this appointment, there being several candidates for the position, which, as is shown, was finally decided by giving the place to Mr. Traugh. Mr. Traugh was in control of this office for three years, two months and four days, when, on the 4th day of March, 1889, he resigned the office and recommended as his successor one William Bunnell, a brother- in-law of his, and a Republican. Mr. Bunnell received the appointment, and on March 4, 1889, he assumed con- trol of the office. Shortly after this there became another exciting time among the Republican patrons of this post- office. Many were not satisfied with Mr. Bunnell, and as usual in such places, there were several Republican candi-
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dates for the place. A great many Republicans here blamed Congressman William D. Owen for suggesting and recommending the appointment of Mr. Bunnell. There is no doubt but that this appointment caused the loss to Mr. Owen of several votes here in his subsequent canvass for election to Congress, in October, 1890, he being defeated for that office, his successful competitor being the Hon. David A. Patton, who was elected over him by a plurality of about 1, 200 votes. No doubt this postoffice affair had something to do with Mr. Owen's defeat, but there were many other greater and more serious causes that conspired to cause this result.
The people of Remington, or at least a majority of them, were greatly rejoiced over the election of our fellow- townsman, Col. D. A. Patton. Col. Patton was an excel- lent citizen, and this was the first time that Remington had ever been honored with so influential and high an official as a live Congressman. The succeeding Monday night after this election was set apart for a grand jollification over this recent election, at Remington. As a result, our little city was crowded to its fullest capacity with citizens and strangers from Logansport, Monticello, Reynolds, Rensse- lear, Kentland, Goodland and all the stations along the line of the Panhandle railway, and country folks from all directions for many miles. There were huge bonfires, fire- works and excellent speeches from orators from Logan- sport, Kentland and other places. Every one seemed to take an interest, and the railway officials run excursion trains to accommodate the people. There was a stand erected for the speakers at the west end of the depot. There was, of course, the usual patronage which went to the various saloons, which was probably large, but consid- ering the excessively large gathering of the people, and all the circumstances, the people were very quiet and orderly, there being no quarreling, fighting nor disturbance of any character. There was one old threshing machine or sepa- rator cremated in the principal bonfire. This jollification
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was held in Remington, mainly in honor of Col. Patton. But at the same time the Democracy had generally been successful throughout the State of Indiana and many other States.
Some people found fault with the appointment of Mr. Wm. Bunnell, for the reason that he was a brother-in-law of Mr. Traugh, claiming that the office was being kept in one family. The people continued to find fault with Con- gressman W. D. Owen, and were so persistent, that he eventually found a place for Mr. Bunnell in Washington, City, when he (Bunnell) resigned the postmastership, and took charge of his position.
The Republicans, or at least the Republican patrons of the postoffice, now adopted the plan of holding an elec- tion to determine who should be the successor of Mr. Bun- nell. This election resulted in the selection of Mr. H. H. Walker, who was appointed by the authorities at the capi- tol, and after being legally qualified for the performance of his duties as such postmaster, he was formally inducted into the office on the Ist day of April, 1890, Mr. Bunnell having been postmaster one year and twenty-seven days. Mr. Walker is still at this time, January, 1894. the post- master at Remington, Ind., his successor not yet having been named. This gives us the record of all the postmas- ters of Carpenter's Station and Remington, with the excep- tion of the first one, whose name was Henry Downing. He lived on the farm known as the English Blake farm. He probably was postmaster in the year 1857. There were at that time only a very few people here. We have endeavored to give the name of each postmaster and the time covered by his service, from the date of the establish- ment of the first postoffice at Carpenter's Grove to the present time at Remington, Ind. The following shows, in a condensed form, each man and when he acted in this capacity:
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I. Henry Downing. 1857.
2. George G. Thompson 1858-1859.
3. John L. De Witt 1860.
4. James B. Shaw
1861-8865.
4. William H. Shaw
1861-1865.
5. Benj. B. Jeffries (six months) 1 865.
6. Wm. H. Shaw
1866 -- 1870.
7. George B. Clark . 1870-1886.
8. Wellington A. Traugh 1886-1889.
9. Wm. H. Bunnell 1889-1890.
IO. H. H. Walker 1890-1892.
The above covers a period of thirty-seven years, from the first to the present time, and during this time there has been only two Democrats in the list, viz: Benj. B. Jeffries and Wellington A. Traugh.
SALOONS.
A T the first organization of the town of Remington, a great many of the citizens were desirous of hav- ing a temperauce town. Remington, however, has never been blessed by a day even, when liquors were not to be purchased within her limits. If it was not to be had through the State and county license, it could be got by the quart through Federal or Government license. During the first five years of the existence of the town, there were no saloons wherein could be purchased liquors by the drink. Whilst this was the case, our liquor laws were being continually violated, for the dealers in the stuff would, contrary to law, sell to certain persons, and in fact to any person, by the drink, who they believed would not inform on them or give them away to the grand jury or other criminal officers. Whisky was mainly kept for sale in the drug stores, where certain persons could get it, in any quantity desired. It was also
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kept in certain grocery stores, where it could be had under similar conditions. These grocers, of course, were armed with a Government permit to sell intoxicating liquors. But when James A. May returned home from the Army in 1865, he engaged in the liquor business under a United States Government permit, and in March, 1866, the Board of County Commissioners of Jasper county granted him a license to sell his liquors at retail, or in other words, by the drink. This was the first licensed saloon ever established in the town of Remington. At that time the town had not yet been incorporated. Mr. May did not remain in this business a great while, but sold his saloon business to Ambrose Ford, who was a new comer here, having located in Remington during that year (1866). When May's license expired under which Ford had been selling, he, Ford, made an application for a retailer's license in his own name, but met with a great deal of opposition from the temperance element of the town, who prepared a strong remonstrance to his applica- tion, which remonstrance was signed by two thirds of the citizens of the town. This remonstrance was taken to the county seat and filed with the County Auditor, and it became a part of the papers in the case. The remonstrants had also good legal counsel to assist them in their fight against Mr. Ford. After the case had been called, and tried, and counsel heard pro and con, the Board of County Commissioners refused to grant to Mr. Ford the license as he had prayed for. This case was heard at the March term of the Board of Commissioners, 1867. Mr. Ford was very much disappointed, and dissatisfied with the result of his suit, but he continued to sell by the quart. His son, Lewis A. Ford, made an application for retail license to sell intoxicating liquors during the year 1872, and there being no serious opposition to his application, the license was granted to him. His saloon was, however, not in the same building in which Mr. May and Ford's father had conducted their business, being in a building that
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then stood on the lot where Mr. J. O. B. McDougle is now conducting his general merchandise business. Ford's per- mit licensed him to do business in a room which had been built by Mr. William Irwin, on the lot now owned and occupied by George D. Myer, as his residence northwest of Exchange Block. At this time there were no other build- ings of any kind, within a hundred yards of this saloon; it stood all alone, but was easily found, however. Mr. Ford had many drawbacks to contend against, whilst he was engaged in this business, for it was during a time when the temperance folks were constantly making war on the saloons, and at about this time, the temperance women of the town completed an organization, whose object was to break up the saloon business in Remington, mention having been made regarding this matter hereinbefore. They made it so unpleasant for Mr. Ford that he finally con- cluded that he would go out of the business, which he did, before the expiration of his license.
Jared H. Fountain, heretofore mentioned, also was another of the liquor men of Remington, who made a des- perate effort to withstand the opposition of the temperance folks, during the times they were waging their warfare against the saloons. He was a very eccentric man, his eccentricity consisting mainly in his politeness to all per- sons with whom he came in contact. But his record as a saloon keeper, was not free from criticism. He had a very frail wife, who was seriously addicted to the drink habit herself, which fact did not tend to establish the credit of his saloon. But about the year 1877 he sold out his business, and soon after this he departed this life. His wife also followed him about the year 1884. Mr. Fountain was at one time in flourishing circumstances. He was the owner of several valuable lots in Remington, and appar- ently handled a considerable amount of money. He also owned a farm between here and Wolcott. But owing to the constant war made against him, his wealth was soon dissipated, and he died very poor.
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Michael Cassiday engaged here in the liquor traffic during the year 1872. He first built a small room on the lot immediately west of Daniel O'Connor's place of busi- ness, near the railway, but after having completed the building, the location did not suit him, and he accordingly moved the house on to the lot at present occupied by Croff Cheek as a meat market. Cassiday did business under a Federal Government permit only, and his stay here was of short duration, and he soon left the town. Cassiday was followed by one George Clay, Clay by Beck Bros., and they by Jacob Fireizen, he by John Eck, Eck by John Henderson, he by Joseph S. Ward. Ward sold out to G. Arpin, who finally closed his business out, and removed to the west. The Jared H. Fountain build- ing, on the north side was now occupied as a saloon by Alex Stebbins, but he also remained but a short time, when his place was occupied by John Willits, for a short time only. Peter Trudeau followed him in the business, and remained here about one year, when he also stopped. All of the last seven named saloon keepers did business on a Government permit. In 1879 Albert Ellis engaged in the liquor trafic under Government license, and continued to thus sell until in the year 1881; he had in the mean- time taken in his brother, James F. Ellis, as a partner. In 1881 they secured a State and county license from the Board of County Commissioners, to sell by retail, which they did until during the year 1883, when their place of business which was the old Jared H. Fountain building, was destroyed by fire, which crippled them to a considera- ble extent. This caused them to seek another place in which to conduct their business, and soon after this fire J. O. B. McDougal built on the second lot west of the alley in the burnt district, and he leased this building to the Ellis Bros. for saloon purposes, where they commenced opera- tions again in their line of business in the fall of the year 1883. The firm continued to do a thriving business until in the year 1866, when the firm was dissolved, and Albert
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Ellis removed to Wolcott, White county, Indiana, where he engaged in the same business.
James F. Ellis has continued in the saloon business from the date of the dissolution of the partnership, in his own individual name up to the present time. He is regarded generally as an excellent, law abiding citizen. He is liberal, always donating freely to any and all benevolent and charitable cases, and ever ready to assist any needy poor person. He came to Remington a poor man himself, but by close attention to his own business affairs, he has succeeded in procuring a moderate competence, and is at present the owner of some very good real estate in the town of Remington. He resides in his own property, which was originally built by one of the Beal brothers, and he is also the owner of the property originally built by a Mr. McDonnell, better known as the Felix R. Donnelley property, which he leases. He visited this part of the country first in the year 1860. It was then very new, with plenty of game of all kinds, and " Frank," as he is known by all, was then, as he still is, a great lover of sport with the rod and gun. He located for the time in the little neighborhood of Black Oak. He only remained there a part of one summer, and he then returned to Mont- gomery county, Indiana, his former home, where he enlisted into the army, and served as a soldier until the close of the war, when he returned again to his old home in Montgomery county. He remained there until the fall of 1879, when he returned again to this county and located in Remington, where he has remained in business until the present time. But to revert again to the saloon business of Remington. On the south side of the Railway, and on the site of John S. Hollett's coal building, had been erected a two story frame building which had been constructed in the year 1867 by Mr. Nisher. This building was intended for a business house; it was for several years occupied as a saloon by J. H. Fountain, George Clay, Beck Bros., Mr. Fireizen, John Eck, George Seitz, John Henderson and
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HARRY E. HARTLEY.
(See page 260.)
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Thomas Harris, the latter of whom made an application to the Board of County Commissioners for a license to sell by retail. At this time the fight against liquor had practic- ally ceased and Mr. Harris experienced but very little diffi- culty in securing his license to retail, which was granted to him about the year 1880. Harris continued in the business under retail license until the 28th day of October, 1884, when his place of business, with many other buildings and their contents, were destroyed by fire. It is proper here to state that in 1881 Mr. Harris experienced difficulty in securing a license. A Mr. Nelson filed a remonstrance with the Auditor of the County, opposing the granting of a license to Mr. Harris. This had the effect to defeat Harris at that term of the Commissioner's Court, but at the suc- ceeding term, through the use of the name of Van Buren Hinds, he succeeded in securing the license in Hinds' name, and under this name and a short time under the name of Geo. Daffer, in 1884, the license was continued until the date of the fire in 1884, as stated above. This fire ended the career of Thomas Harris as a saloon keeper in Rem- ington.
The next man to engage in the liquor traffic that we call attention to was Timothy O'Connor. He constructed a frame building on the corner of North and Rangeline streets, immediately across the street North from his private residence. Into this building he placed a stock of groceries, and liquor and beer, which he sold by authority of a grovernment permit. He commenced this business during the year 1868. He continued there in this business until the year 1880, when he moved his building down town, and located on the first lot south of Railway street and on the west side of Ohio street. There had been much opposition to Mr. O'Connor on account of saloon business for several years, from the anti-saloon men and women, of the town, but Mr. O'Connor was a man that was hard to bluff or intimidate. The crusaders had threatened him with the destruction of property repeatedly; he was not 7
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easily alarmed, and their threats were never carried into execution, although they put him to much court costs by defending prosecutions against him, some of which went before the Supreme Court of the State, in which Mr. O'Connor was successful.
In 1881, O'Connor made an application to the Board of County Commissioners for a license to retail his liquors, and the fight against the traffic now being almost entirely abated, he was granted his license without much opposition. Mr. O'Connor was a fair business man, and dealt honorably with his customers; he remained here in the retail saloon business until May 9, 1887. When he was suddenly attacked with disease and died. After his death his son, Daniel O'Connor, secured a license to carry on the business, which he has done with the aid of his brother Dennis up to this time, 1894. Both are excellent business young men, and are especially suited for this particular kind of business, having had many years of actual experi- ence, before engaging in it for themselves. It will be seen from the above that the O'Connor's, including Timothy, the father, and his sons have carried on a licensed saloon trade in Remington for fourteen years, with a break of about a month immediately following the death of the father, who died May 9, 1887, and the son Daniel secured a license in his own name about one month later, at the June term of the Commissioner's Court, 1888. There is another brother, Frank, who might be mentioned here, although he only attended bar for his father a small portion of the time. His business, however, was that of an engineer, he having for a long time been the engineer in a warehouse here, but later he went west, and secured employment on one of the western railways.
Still another man to engage in the liquor traffic in Remington was B. P. Dluzak, who had formerly lived in the country near town, and concluded to try his luck in this business, but he was an inexperienced man, and was not so successful as those who understood the business
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better than he. He obtained a retail license the first week in December, 1887, and continued in it until his place was destroyed by fire on the 28th day December, 1888. His place of business was the second lot west from Indiana street, and north side of Railway street. At this time there were about seven business houses connected together which were all destroyed by this fire, extending to the alley east of Mr. Heilig's restaurant. After this fire B. P. Dluzak was unable from his own means to start again, but he got assistance from his father, who furnished him the means to rebuild a good substantial building on the site of his house that had been destroyed, but after the building was ready he concluded that he would abandon the business, even after he had made .another application for license, which he withdrew. His brother, John Dluzak, had prob- ably been a silent partner with him, and after the new building was completed they did some business under the quart or Government permit plan; but this was not a suc- cess, and John Dluzak went from here to Kankakee City, Illinois, where he was employed as a bartender, and B. P. Dluzak sold out his interest in this saloon to his father, Jacob Dluzak. Another brother, Joseph Dluzak, obtained in his own name a license for his father to sell by retail at the June term, 1891. Jacob Dluzak continued to conduct this business under a retail license for one year, and then for a short time after the expiration of his retail license he conducted a quart saloon under a Government permit. He finally sold out his stock and real estate to Mr. George Eck, who is his immediate successor. Mr. Eck has con- tinued in the business to the present time, under retail license.
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